About Lake Area Technical College
Watertown, South Dakota, is home to Lake Area Technical College, a public college serving roughly 1,810 undergraduates. The federal student-to-faculty ratio is about 16 to 1.
Nursing programs at Lake Area Technical College
Federal completion data shows nursing credentials awarded at these levels: practical nursing (LPN/LVN) certificate or diploma and associate degree in nursing (ADN). In the most recent reporting year, the school reported about 90 practical nursing completers and about 46 associate-degree nursing graduates. Programs at this level are the faster, lower-cost way into the profession: an ADN typically takes about two years once prerequisites are done, and many graduates later add a bachelor’s through an RN-to-BSN program.
Cost and student outcomes
Published tuition and fees are about $7,600 a year. The average net price (what students receiving federal aid pay after grants and scholarships) is about $15,300 a year. About 33% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Students who finish the associate level and borrow leave with median federal loan debt of about $12,700. Federal earnings data puts median pay for associate-level nursing graduates at roughly $74,600 one year after finishing, an estimate based on graduates with reported earnings. Schoolwide, about 76% of first-time, full-time students finish within 150% of normal time and 81% return for a second year.
Applying and licensure
The federal data does not report an overall admission rate for this school, which is typical of open-access colleges. Expect the nursing program to have its own application, prerequisite courses, and limited seats. Our guide to getting into nursing school explains what programs typically look for. To work as a nurse in South Dakota, graduates apply for a license with the state board of nursing in South Dakota and pass the NCLEX. Before you commit, verify the program’s ACEN or CCNE accreditation and state approval, and compare it with other options on our South Dakota nursing schools page.
Figures come from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and can change. Confirm current details with the school.